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ALBION’s hopes of signing French international striker Andre Pierre Gignac rest on them seeing off a concerted effort from Galatasaray.

The Turkish giants have offered a three year deal of around £50,000 a week and can also throw in Champions League football.

Albion appear more than ready to match the £2.5 million a year wages when they make their play for the 30-year-old.

Weekend reports in Spanish newspaper Marca stated Albion are in talks over a deal for Real Madrid midfielder Cristian Benavente for £3.5 million.

The 21-year-old playmaker can play on either wing and behind a lone striker.

But Gignac was certainly the number one target of Tony Pulis this summer having watched him at the end of the season.

Andre-Pierre Gignac (Image: Action Images / Ed Sykes)

Reports in France say a deal to take free-agent Gignac to Dynamo Moscow fell through as soon as the Russian club failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Lyon are also keen to sign Gignac who is also courted by half a dozen Premier League clubs.

Gignac visited Istanbul last Monday to check out the Turkish club’s facilities.

It is said that Gignac’s family would prefer for him to remain in France, although Lyon are rivals of former club Marseille which has clouded the waters of any potential deal.

Albion appear well placed to push home their interest in Benavente who needs games to get back into Peru’s international set-up.

Peru coach Ricardo Gareca dropped the midfielder from his 23-man squad for the Copa America.

Nolberto Solano in training for Aston Villa in 2004.

Peru assistant and former Villa midfielder Nolberto Salono has explained that Benevente’s exclusion was simply down to him playing in the third tier of Spanish football. Benavente played with Castilla last season under Zinedine Zidane. They are Real’s B team.

One of the more intriguing pieces of speculation sees Albion linked with Crystal Palace and former Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Albion are in the process of taking up a one year option on Boaz Myhill but will have only one senior keeper on the books until late October with Ben Foster recovering from a cruciate knee injury.

Pulis took Hennessey from Molineux when he was in charge of Palace.

Meanwhile, James Morrison has revealed the key role he played in Darren Fletcher’s deadline day switch to The Hawthorns.

Fletcher’s move to West Ham broke down around the time Albion were sinking to a 3-0 home defeat to Spurs.

Morrison, with the Scotland squad ahead of Saturday’s crucial Euro-qualifier in Dublin, told the Scotsman:

“I was on to him because I had heard he was going to West Ham,.

“I spoke to a few club officials and the manager and I knew there was interest. So I was pestering him.

“He says I was one of the reasons why he came. I just persuaded him by telling him about the club.

“I really believe that he is enjoying it. I hope I’ll be able to charge the club.

“I have always spoken to him, and did when he was out with illness. We became friends the first time I was with Scotland. I think we bonded after the first week and we knew what each of us was about.

Darren Fletcher (L) and James Morrison celebrates the second goal for Scotland

"We get on really well off the pitch. I’ve been there myself not playing for a long time. I was out with a heel injury for over a year so I know what it is like to be in that bad place.”

Morrison has not been surprised by Fletcher’s impact: “I knew what he would bring,” Morrison said. “Playing with the people he has, and under Sir Alex [Ferguson] has probably brought out his character and we look to him now for that experience.

“He had respect the first day he walked in. Obviously the lads have played against him many a time and for what he has done for Manchester United he deserves that respect.”